Butter-cutting machine.



No. 828,397. K 121111111111511 1111111.- 14,1906,

i -s.1-fsl m1111111.

. BUTTE-RCUTIING "MACHINE,

APrLIoATIONfILED 1111.2. 1901's.

[Sill UUE SIUE! PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906.

-I v s. B. FRIDAY.

BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2. 1906. l

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NI'IED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

lSOLOMON B. FRIDAY, OF BRANDON, WISCONSIN.' l

BUTTER-survive. mACHaNE.

' ability for ready cleaning are secured.

A further object is to provide an improved construction adapted tooperate upon a mass of butter immediately after the removal of said massfrom atub, so that the butter when it enters the machine and is ready tobe operated upon is of the required vertical height topermit of aplurality of horizontal layers of equal thickness being cut therefrom.

A further object is the provision of meansafter `the butter has beenvertically cut for regulating the horizontal cut of a mass, so that thebutter may be divided into a series of square or rectangular prints 'orcakes of redetermined proportions and weight.

With the above and other incidental objects in view the inventionconsists of the lde'- vices and parts ortheir equivalents, as herewithdepending legs or supports 8.

inafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation' of one side ofthe machine. 2 is a plan view, parts broken away. Fig. 3

-is a side elevation at right angles to Fig. 1'.

Figj4 is a sectional view through the gearwheel and fragmentof theoperating-handle- Fig: 5 is a detail view of the removable guardboard.Fig. 6 is an under view of the horie zontal cutter, and Fig. 7 is atransverse section on the line 7 7 -of Fig. 3. The frame of the tableofthe machine may be of any desirable construction adaptedfor supportingthe several parts, and in the drawings I have illustrated a table 7,provided `A follower 9, provided on its top surface with kerfs 10, isarranged above the top ofthe table and when at the lowest limit of its Aadjustment rests on said table-top. .Ver-

tical movement may bei-Inparted to the fol Specification of LettersPatent. i

Application filed January 2, 1906. Serial No. 294,076.

Fig.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

to employ the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings and whichwill now be explained. The follower is supported by a rack-'bar 11,whichl extends through a suitable guide-opening in the table-top andalso through a suitable guide 12, integral with the frame and continuingin line with the guiderack-bar are engaged by a pinion `13`at the innerend of a shaft 14;, said shaft carrying' at its outer end aratchet-wheel 15. This ratchet-wheel has its periphery iiangedoutwardly, andfratcheateeth 16 are arranged around the inner surface ofthis flange, while around the outer surface of the ange are arrangedother teeth 17. The wheel is provided with an outwardly-extending hub 18, which surrounds the shaft 14 and is fast thereto. Y

The numeral 19 indicates an o eratinghandle. The lower end of this hanleis ro vided 4with a circular bearing 20, W ich loosely surrounds thehub 18 and is prevented from working outwardly oif the said hub byreason of a stop-plate 21, secured to the outer end of the shaft 14.-The circular bearin 20 also has a slight play between the stopate handoperatingA metallic wheel is em loyed. This is opento objection in viewoft e fact that it soils the hands of the operator and necessitates hiswashing his hands after each Byv the use of a wooden handle this isobviated. Where the wooden handle is employed, .the circular bearing 20is formed at the lower end of arm 22, which is bolted to the lowerportion of the f handle roper. From one edge of the lower portion of t ehandle extends a lug 23, and to this lug is pivoted a pawl 24, said pawladapted to engage edge of the handle and at a point slightly above thelug 23 extends a .projection 25, -said projection after the handle hasbeenvswung a vcertain distance in one direction adapted to en age undera shoulder 26, pro- Vjecting lateral y from a awl 27, said pawl pivotedto one of the si es of the top portion of the frame and adapted toengage-the teeth 17 Usually in this class of machines the table theratchet-teeth 16. From the opposite opening of the table-top.` Theteethof this I 21 and the outer face of the ratchet-Wheel 15. .z

The operating-handle is preferably of. Wood. In the most usual form ofconstruction a operation before he can handle the butter.

IOO

has mounted thereon a casing or box of rec tangular form in which thefollower works up which are required to be cleaned are readilyaccessible. Referring to this portion of my invention, the numerals 28indicate four upright guide-posts which are shown as of rightangularform in crosssecton, although they maybe of curved form in cross-sectionor, in fact, of any other desired contour, so long as they receive thecorners of the follower, and thereby serve as a guide for the follower'n the movement thereof. connected near their lower ends byconnecting-bars 29, and the lower ends of the upf rights rest on top ofthe table.l To the upper ends of the posts or uprights is riveted arectangular cutting wire carrying frame 30.

This frame may be of any desirable construc? tion g but I refer toconstruct it of a ilat band of metal o rectangular form, having its top.and bottom edges provided with outwardlyextending flanges 31. 4Thisframe, with its rigid depending posts, is held tightly but re- Vleasably to the table. This may be accomplished in a variety ofdifferent ways, and in the drawings I have shown a specificmechl nectedthereto.

anism for obtaining the obj ect desired. Re-

ferring to this mechanism, the numerals 32 32 indicate lugs proje'ctinoutwardly from two of\the opposite sldeso the tableftop. The lugs ofeach pair form bearingsfor a pin 33.

Between the lugs is fitted the furcate mem#` ber of the upperbifurcatedv endof a handle 34, the said furcate members being rigidlyconnected by means of a transverse rounded connecting member 35.y Eachof the mem--L bers 35 is provided' longitudinally therethrough with aneccentric openin .through which one of the pins 33 passes free y, sothat the member 35 is free to turn on `this in.

rThe pin also passes freely through almed.

openin s in the furcate arms. For each cam lis emp oyed a clamping-rod36. The lower end of each clamping-rod is connected to one ,oftheeccentrics or cams, preferably by being bentl therearound, andthereby ri idly ccny The upper en of each clamping-rod is turnedinwardly, s'o as to adapt said rod to engage over the flangeBi of' thecutting-wire-carrying frame 30. When these clam inY -rods are turnedupwardly and inward y, t eir inwardly-bent upper ends are caused toengage over the flange referred to. After so turning the clamping-rodsthe These uprights are'v handles 134 of each cam are turnedv down*wardly, and the skeleton frame is thereby tightly clamped to the table.'Whenever it is desired to remove the skeleton frame, Iall that isnecessary to be done is to push upwardly on the handles of the cams, andthe clampingrods can then beturned out of engagementy with the upperliange 31, and the frame with its depending uprights or posts is free tobe lifted out of engagement with the table.l

The crossed cutting-wires of the vwire-carrying frame are indicated bythe numerals 37 37. The outer ends of thesewires are pref?v of saidflanges and nuts being turned onto the threaded opposite ends of thebolts yand against the otherflanges,

In the use of the invention as thus far dis- I closed the skeleton frameis secured to the top of the table in the manner hereinbefore described.The follower 9 at the initial stage of the operation should be in itslowest position, and the vmass of butter is placed on said follower. Theo erating handle or lever 19 is now grasped ancf) moved back and forth.This will cause the pawl 24 to successively engage the .teeth 16 of theratchet-wheel 15. The ratchet-wheel is thereby rotated and its rotationcommunicated Kto the shaft 14, and the pinion' 13 on the inner end ofsaid-shaft is necessarily rotated with the shaft. In' v'iew of the factthat the pinion 13- is in mesh with the-rack-bar 11 the said rackbar iscaused to be raised and the follower 9,-supported by the upper end ofsaid rack-bar, simultaneousl; raised. Thel mass of butter supported y ont e follower is thus brought into contact with the cutting-wires 37 andis thereby divided by a series of vertical cuts. After the :butter isforced upwardly a certain distance the operator ceases to move thehandle back and forth, and the pawl 27,in engagement with the teeth -17serves to hold the shaft 14 stationary, and hence the follower is'maintained in its raised position. t When the follower is stopped-inthe manner indicated, the

-butter which had been previously cut vertically Iis now cuthorizontally, so as to form a number of rectangular prints or cakes..The

-kerfs or grooves 10.in the upper side of the follower compensate forthe bowed or archedform which the crossed cutting-wires assume inpassing through the butter, and hence permit movement of the followerupwardly a suflicient distance to allow the bow to enter the grooves inorder to complete the vertical cut. I

For the purpose of cutting the vertically-` cut butter horizontally intocakes or prints of IOO IIO

' 'predetermined size yand weight I employ an improved device consistingof an arched or bowed 'frame 39, which isadvisably made channeled orU-shaped in cross-section. The

ends of this frame are turned inwardly toward eachother for a vshortdistance, as clearly shown, and extending from these turned-in ends tothe top piece of the frame are threaded rods 40. These rods pass freelythrough openings in a gage-bar 4l Engaging the threads of the rods abovethe gagebar are nuts 42 42, and engaging the threads of the rods belowthe gage-bar are nuts 43 43;

clamped in such lower position by turning' the nuts 42 downwardlyagainstthe upper side thereof. A cutting-wire 44 is connected at itsopposite ends to the inwardly-turned ends of the bowed frame at thepoints 45 45, and as a convenient means for guidingthe wire to thepoints of attachment I pass said wires into the grooves in the'heads ofthe A threaded rods 40.

In the use and application of the horizontal cutter the gage-bar isadjusted on the rods 40 the distance it is required that the height ofthe cakes of butter should be, it bev ing known that the cakes of butterof the transverse area, as determined by the wires .37, and o`f theheight equal to the distance from the cutting-wire 44 to the adjustedposition of the gage-bar will be lof ab given weight. After the mass ofbutter has been elevated a desired distance above the tabletop thehorizontal cutter is adjusted to the mass of butter, as illustrated inFig. 3, and i's Sti then'drawn across the mass, the wire 44 in thismovement of the device entering the ,butter and serving to cut saidbutter horizontally. Of` course when the wire 44 is drawn completelythrough the mass of butter a number of prints or cakes of butter willhave been com.-

letely cut of a given size and known weight. In thus drawing thecutting-wire 44 through the mass of butter there is a tendency ofthebutter as it is severed being drawn off the machine and falling to thefloor. In order to revent this, I provide a removable stoplioard 46,said board provided with dependlegs 47, which are adapted to beremovtted in suitable openings in the top ske eton frame 30, the legsbeing provided with shoulders 48, resting upon the. tops of the upperoutstanding flanges' of the frame 30. This stop-board is only adjustedto the machine just before the operation of cutting the 'butterhorizontally is commenced. The

legs fit freely in the openings in the frame 30, so that afterfeachhorizontal cutting of the butter is completed the board may be removed.

In the forms of butter-cutters wherein the follower moves in arectangular lcasing the butter is simply placed on top of the followerandv packed in the casing. Of course where the specific o en formofguide-uprights for the follower erein shown and described is em loyedthe butter cannot be packed, ask

is t e case when the casing form of construction is used. The openformof construction herein shown and described, therefore', is intended tobe used in connection with a complete tapering cylinder of butter, this:being the formof the butter when first removed from a tub. In order to,provide aconvenient means for inserting this cylinder of butter into theopen frame, I provide two L-shaped rails 49 49,\ which extend overthetable-top 4 and out laterally from said top for a desired distance.The rails are preferably removably secured, and forl this purpose Ilbolt to the ends thereof opposite'to the outwardly-extending ends straps50v 50, which are bent downwardly, said downwardly-bent portionsprovided, near their lower ends, with eyes, which are adapted to receivetherein studs 51 51, projecting out from one side of the table. Thefollower 9 is initially placed upon the outwardly-extending portions ofthe rails 49, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. For the purpose ofslidably holding the follower to the rails I provide on the under sideof said follower strips 52 52, which areA pro- ICO vided with grooves 5353,-adapted to fit the upper edges of the upright iianges of the L-rails. -The tapering cylinder of butter (indicated by dottedv .lines inFig. 3 and designated by the numeral 54) is placed upon the follower,and the said follower is then pushedv inwardlyuntil the advancing edgethereof 'y strikes the guide posts or uprights toward which the saidedge of the follower is moving,

and the follower is thereby properly positioned between the fouruprights. It will be understood that the two uprights between which thefollower is first moved has its flanges which face the advancing edge ofthe follower cutaway at their lower portions, so that said flanges offerno Aimpediment to the -advance between the two uprights in question ofthe advancing edge of the follower. This cut-away portion is clearlyindicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the follower is pushedintoflnal position, the upper lenlarged end or head of the rack-bar 1lwill be beneath the central portion of the follower, so as to raise thesaid follower when the rackbar is moved upwardly.

The average height of contained 4in an ord three horizontal cuts orlayers of equal thickness. It is obvious thatk when the height of acylinder of buttery inary tub is too greatfor' IIO j ness than the otherlayers.

the cylinder of butter is thus in excess of a certainheight the lasthorizontal layer of butter after the final cut is thicker than the otherlayers. It will be understood that the cutting-Wire 44 of the horizontalcutter is'in! tended to make only two cuts horizontally through thebutter, so that the butter remaining after the second cut represents thelast layer, and if the cylinder of butter is too high this layer isnecessarily of greater thick- It therefore follows that the 'height ofthe cylinder of butter should be just sufficient to provide for three ihorizontal lagers of equal thickness. I 5' In order to secure thisresult, I employ a cutting- `wire 55, stretched from one of the uprights28 to the opposite upright and located near the upper ends of saiduprights. Agmeans for taking 'up slack in this wire is advantageouslyemployed, and any desired means .for the purpose may be used 3 but Iprefer the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

consisting of wrapping thel ends of they wire 55 around and securing thesame to `bolts 56 56, said bolts passing freely through openings in lugs57 57. One' end of each of these bolts is provided with a head bearingagainst one of the lugs, and the opposite end of each bolt is threadedto receive a nut 58, located above the other lug. When the wire becomesslack, it is obvious that all that is necessary to be done is to loosenone of the nuts 5S and fully completed it is ofcourse necessary toported thereby. This is accompiished by lower the rack-bar 11 and thefollower 9 supthrusting the operating-handle 19 toward the right of Fig.1 sufficiently far to cause the projection 25 to engage under thelateral' shoulder 26 of thepawl 27. Thisl will have the elfect ofraising thesaid pawl out of enf gagern'ent with the teeth 16 of thegear-'\vh`eel.

The support for the rack-bar and follower is thereby removed, andconsequently they descend by gravity, the rack-barin' its downwardmovement operating uponv the pinion A13 and causing the shaft .14 andthe gear-- wheel 15 to rotate in an opposite direction to `the directionof rotation ,for raising the rack- The rapidity of rotation may be reguvbar. lated by pressing the handle inwardly", so as to cause it to bearfrictionally against the edge of the outstanding flange of the gearwheel15. From Fig. 4 of the drawings and as hereinbefore previously pointedout', it

When the proper tension is sewill be seen that the bearing 20 at thelower end of the operating-handle has a loose fit around the hub 18 anda slight play longitudinally-on said hub, so that this frictionalengagement may be readily accomplished.

While the present drawings illustrate the open frame, consisting of theguide-uprights 28 and the top rectangular frame 30, yet I do not wish tobe understood as limiting my-` self thereto, inasmuch as other. featuresof my invention possess novelty irrespective as to whether they areemployed in connection with an open frame orA in connection with aclosed casing. Vhen a'closed casing is employed,l however', the rails 49and related parts are not necessary, and the follower may be rigidlyconnected to the upper end of the rack-bar. I also do not wish to beunderstood as limiting -myself to the exact details of constructionherein shown and described, inas much as variations and changes may be-made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. g

While I- have throughout the specification and claims designated theinvention as a butter-cutting machine, yet I do not intend to therebylimit myself to that special adaptation of the mechanism, inasmuch assaidI mechanism may be equally useful as a device for Cutting cheese andlike articles.

What I claim `asvmy invention is 1. In a butter-cutting machine, thecombination of a supportingstable, a frame for containing the butter,cutting mechanism atI the outer end of the butter-containing frame, afollower within the butter-containing frame and movable therein andadapted to support the butter, a rack-bar for imparting verticalmovement to the follower, a shaft having a pinion on its -inner endengaging the rack-bar, and a gear-wheel on its outer end, said gearwheelhaving a iianged periphery with teeth around' the inner surface of theflange, and teeth around the outer surface of said flange,

`an operating-handle rotatablyiitted on the end o1' the shaft, andhaving a pawl pivoted thereto and engaging the teeth around the innersurface of the flange of the gear-wheel, and a pawl pivoted to the tableand engaging the outer teeth of the gear-wheel, said pawl adapted to beengaged by the operating-handle and lifted out of engagement with theouter teeth .ofthe gear-wheel, when said handle is moved' a certaindistance in one direction.

' 2. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination of a supporting-table,a framefor containing the butter, cutting mechanism at .the outer end ofthe butter-containing frame, a follower within the butter-containingframe and movable therein and adapted'to supportthe butter, a rack-baz'for imparting vertical movement to the follower, a shaft having a pinionon its inner end engaging the rack-bar,

' and a gear-wheel on its outer end, said gear-r wheel having a flangedperiphery withteeth outer teeth of the gear-wheel, said pawl providedwith a lateral shoulder, and a projec- .Io tion extending from theoperating-handle,

' and adapted to 'engage thel shoulder of the said pawl when theIoperating-handle is( moved a certain distance in one direction.

3. In a butter-cutting machine, the combination of a supporting-table, aframefor containing the butter, cutting mechanism at the outer end ofthe butter-containing frame, a follower within the' butter-containingframe and movable therein-and adapted to support 2o the butter, arack-bar for imparting vertical movement to the follower, a shaft havinga pinion on its inner' end engaging the rack-b ar, and a gear-wheel onits outer end, s aid gearwheel having a flanged periphery with teetharound the inner surface of the flange, and teeth around the outersurface of said flange, `a wooden operating-handle rotatably fittedonthe end of the shaft, and having a pawl pivoted thereto and engaging theteeth around 3o the innersurface of the flange of tlfe gearwheel, and apawl pivoted to the table and engaging the outer teeth ofthe'gear-wheel, said pawl adapted to be engaged by the operating-handleand lifted out of engagement with theouter teeth of the ear-wheel, whensaid handle is moved a certain distance in one direction; 4, In abutter-cutting machine, thecombination of a supporting-table, a framefor con- 40.taim'ng"`the butter, cutting mechanism `at the outer end ofthe butter-containing frame, a follower within the butter-containingframe and movable therein and adapted to supportl the butter,a rack-baradapted when actuated to move the follower within the frame, a

shaft having on its inner end a pinion meshing with the rack-bar, andprovided on its outer end with a flanged gear-wheel, the said iiangehaving teeth around its inner surface., and teeth around its outersurface, an operating-handle looselyfitted on the outer extremity of theshaft and adapted to have an inward play so as to be brought intofrictional engagement-'with the gear-Wheel,and 5 5 thereby regulate thespeed of the reverse ro- :Etation of said ear-Wheel, a pawl pivoted to uthe handle an adapted to engage theinner. teeth of the gear-wheel, and apawl pivoted y to f table and ,adapted to engage the `outer teeth of thegear-wheel, the said pawl adapted to be engaged by the operating-handle,and lifted out of engagement with the outer teeth of the gear-wheel,when said handle is moved a certain distance in one direction. 5. In abutter-cutting machine7 the combination of a supporting-table, a framefor containing the butter, cutting mechanism for dividing the butterinto a number of subdivisions, means for bringing the butter Within thebutter-containing frame into engagement with the cutting mechanism, anda combined .gage'and cutter, consisting of a frame having a longitudinalmember and end members at angles to the longitudinal member, theextremities of said endmembers being bent inwardly for slight distancesparallel with the longitudinal member, a cutting-wire connecting saidinwardly-bent portionsof the end members, rods extending from theinwardlybent portions of the end members to the 1bngitudinal member, agage-bar through which the rods pass and means for holding said;gage-bar at' adjusted position on the rods, said combined gage andcutter, after the gage-bar'thereof has been set a desired .dis-

drawn across the mass of butter so as to cause the wire to effect a cutthrough the subdivided butter at right angles tothe iirst-re- .ferred-tocuts, `to thereby divide the butter into cakes ofpredeterminedproportions and weight. f 6. A combined gage and cutter,consistin vof a frame having a longitudinal4 member an end members atangles 'to the longitudinal member, the extremities of said end membersbeing bent inwardly for slight distances parallel with the longitudinalmember, a cutting-wire connecting said inwardly-bent portions of the endmembers, rods extending from the inwardly-bent portions ofthe endmembers to the longitudinal member, a gagebar .through which the rodspass, and means for holding said gage-bar at adjusted position 1 on therods.

7. lA combined gage and cutter, consistin bf a frame ahaving alongitudinal member an end members at angles to the longitudinal member,the extremities of said end members beingbent inwardly for slightdistances parallel with the longitudinal member, a cutting-Wireconnecting said inwardly-bent por- ICO IOS

tion of the end members, screw-rods extending from the inwardly-bentportions of the end members to the longitudinal member, a gage barvthrough which the' screw rods freely pass, and nuts turnable on thescrewrods above and below the gage-bar. y 8. vIn albutter-cuttingmachine, the combination of a supporting table, guideposts extendingtherefrom, cutting mechanism at the outer ends ofthe guide-posts, railsextending outwardlyfrom the supporting-table, a follower adapted to besupported by said rails and to be pushed inwardly thereon to a positionbetween the guide-posts and means for moving the follower when sopositioned-in a direction toward and away from the eutting mechanism. l

9. In al butter-cutting machine, the combi- 85 tance above thecutting-Wire, adapted to be 'nation of a supporting table guide posts ilower, when so positioned, in a direction to extending therefrom,cutting mechanism at ward and away from the cutting mechanism. 1o theouter ends of the guide-posts',` rails eX-' In testimony whereof I affixmy signature tending 'outwardly and removable from the in presence oftwo witnesses.

supporting-table, a follower adapted to be SOLOMON-B. FRIDAY.

supported by said rails and to be pushed in'- Witnesses:

' wardly thereon to a position between the 1 J. W. FOSTER,

guideposts, and means for moving thefoly EDITH FOSTER.

